Legend of Zelda: Land of the Gods
by Makoto Kudou
Summary: Hyrule is under attack (what else is new?) and there's only one person who can save it! ... but he's dead...
1. Teaser

Legend of Zelda: Land of the Gods  
  
AN: This is my first Zelda fic, so I really hope everyone likes it. Just a note- this is a teaser page only! But if you really like the fic, I'll begin posting parts of it soon. ^_^ Warning: Violence  
  
TEASER  
  
The second Stalfos slashed a wide arc, bringing it down on Link's back. The hero screamed in pain, falling forward. Blood ran down his back from a shallow cut, running in his clothes and being soaked up. Link replaced his shield onto his back, standing again and rushing towards the Stalfos, swinging his sword round. The skeletal monster flew back, and it's partner brought the sword hilt down onto Link's back, breaking his shield. Link fell forward on his hands and knees from the force of the blow. His shield was clinging by mere inches of leather straps. A burning sensation was forming along his cut, the leather rubbing over it. He hissed between his teeth, closing his eyes tight. The Stalfos stepped down to watch. Link vomited as the burning increased, eyes shut tight and watering profusely. A tingling sensation began at his shoulder blades, and blood pulsed through his shoulder blades, flooding upwards into new tubes, new appendages. Large, glowing white wings, that fanned out. Link stood up, his whole body giving off a radiance. He tore off the remnants of his tunic and skirt, and held the Dark Elf sword aloft, grasping the handle tightly. A crackle of electricity ripped down his arms and wrapped itself around the metal, flashing over it and turning it white, bright enough to make Link's pants look grey. The Hylian removed his hat, and shook out his long blond hair. He took hold of the handle tightly, holding it before him as the Stalfos charged. 


	2. Ressurection

_AN: I haven't been writing at all- I'm in college, and I've been a slacker :D I think I'm entitled, damn it! Alright- here's the first chapter to my longest finished Zelda fanfic so yall can quit looking at the teaser._

_Warnings: some swearing, I think? Probably not yet. ... ****reads AN whoops._

_In the land of Hyrule, there echoes a legend. A legend held dearly by the Royal Family that tells of a boy..._

_A boy who, after battling evil and saving Hyrule, crept away from that land that had made him a legend..._

_Done with the battles he once waged across time, he embarked on a journey. A secret and personal journey..._

_A journey in search of a beloved and invaluable friend..._

_Over the course of his travels, he once more found himself taking up a sword and shield to defend the lands he had come across..._

_For many years, the hero continued on, righting wrongs and smiting evil with his sword and righteous heart, no matter the cost, no matter the circumstances..._

_In deep forests..._

_High in the mountains..._

_Across the seas..._

_Even through time..._

_And finally, one day, the hero laid his sword and shield to rest, joining them in his eternal slumber, his conquests immortalized, his name a sacred word..._

_But just as our hero was taking his rest..._

_Evil awoke once more..._

**The Legend of ZELDA**

**Land of the Gods**

Chapter One:

Hyrule, 50 years after the great battle between Ganon and Link

"I am so delighted to have finally built this statue in memorial to Link," said the queen to her faithful, slightly new attendant. The other woman nodded, smiling slightly. "Are you sure it is in his likeness?" She looked over the life-size statue, the clear, sharp eyes, the strong jaw, the proud stance. The queen smiled, nodding. "He looked this way when... when I last saw him." The attendant blinked, turning to look at the queen. "You saw him as an adult, Your Highness?" Zelda nodded, her hands folded together. "He was.. ... my sweet Goddess, was he handsome..." she murmured, making the sign of the Triforce across her chest, a touch to either shoulder, and then to the forehead. The attendant looked longer at the statue. "But he was a child when he left these lands." Zelda shook her head. "Ampa, do you know not of the legendary Ocarina of Time?"

"Pardon me, Your highness, but I believed that to be a fairy tale. A myth." Zelda shook her head once more. "It did exist once. But after Link defeated.. well- after he became a hero, I had it destroyed, so none would crave its power once again." The attendant raised her eyebrows.

"Goddesses, do I wish Link were here to see this." Zelda looked at Ampa, a hand to her eyes.

"Are they absolutely sure.."

"Yes, your highness, his funeral is set for tomorrow." Zelda lowered her gaze. "I hope he was happy the way he went... peaceful in his sleep, not.. not a shameful defeat in battle..." She broke into tears, and Ampa embraced her.

The Spirit Temple- home to Nabooru and her children

"Push!"

The soon-to-be mother groaned, squeezing the sides of the bed tight, biting her lower lip as sweat ran down her face.

"Push! Just a few more, Morbuto, just a few more!"

She grunted with renewed vigor, her body pushing as hard as it could. There were a few gasps of surprise, and a loud wail of a baby. Morbruto smiled a little as she collapsed back onto the bed.

"I... I want to name her..."

"Um.. actually.."

She rose up off the bed immediately again, her eyes sharp. "What is it? What's wrong? My baby?"

"It's a male."

"Wake up, Hero."

He opened his eyes slowly, pure white flooding his vision. At first he believed it to be a harsh light, but it was not making him wince. He sat up, standing slowly on his feet and looking around. "Hello?" Out of impulse, he moved to grasp his sword and shield, finding that they weren't there. The crick in his arm from stretching that way had also gone. "Young hero, savior of lives and worlds. Stand, and know me..." He continued looking around, his body feeling warm and fresh around him, like he had taken a hot shower after many cold rainy nights in the mud. He looked down at his body, wonderous of this dream, and blushed, seeing his nudity- his young nudity. And all of his scars had faded into nothing. "But- I'm an old man." He continued to look around, trying to find the source of the voice. The brilliant white began to dissipate, and he discerned it as no more than fog.

"No, my son," the voice murmured. "You are reborn as what you always were, a young good-hearted being. No longer are you a mortal.." Golden, hair-thin beams of light rose from the ground, joining together and taking the shape of a woman with warm blue eyes and long hair of the same shade. She wore a white dress, and seemed to float, though her legs moved. Link blushed furiously, trying to hide as much of himself as possible.

"Be calm, my child." Nayru said gently, smiling at him. She placed her hands on Link's cheeks, bending down- she was at least twice his height- and kissed his forehead. His inhibitions, his fears, and his embarrassment faded, his mind calmly accepting that he was dead, and a Goddess was before him. She smiled wider, an expression that could make the sun weep. "Come with me, my son." She pulled her hands away from his face, raising a palm upwards to take his hand. Link took her hand, spying a white shirt on his arm, and looked down at himself again. He was in white- a white short sleeved tunic over a white shirt, and white pants. His feet remained bare, and his hair was not in a hat. Nayru dipped her head slightly, indicating he must go with her as she turned to glide/walk. Link followed next to her, even though it didn't look as if they were going anywhere with the fog. But the white mist was rapidly fading, and Nayru stopped unexpectedly. Link moved for a few steps, gasping as he fell through the clouds, landing gently upon a triforce-shaped platform atop a pillar of water. "I am in.. the temple of light." he murmured, looking up and seeing only blackness. But her voice still rang through to him. "Yes. This is one of the few physical realms where the spiritual realms can manifest." There was something else about the temple, nagging at him, but he abandoned the thought for now. He looked around, gasping when a green shimmer of light appeared over the forest medallion platform. It took on a shape, and Saria was standing there, smiling. She looked exactly the same, except for a touch of laugh lines on her face. "My old friend," she said, clasping her hands together. The green aura collected at her shoulder blades, streaking out and forming wings of light. "It is good to finally see you again. I have been wondering when the Goddesses were going to re-awaken you. I was a fool for not realizing.." she lowered her eyes, but raised them again, smiling still. "How long have I been dead, anyway?" Link asked, staring.

"50 years," spoke a new voice, a blue shimmer forming over the water medallion platform. The voice was rich and feminine, and Link recognized it. Ruto folded her arms, the light blue wings flaring from her back. She frowned, and her eyes flickered with fire. "You kept me waiting for 50 years, and then you go and DIE before coming back for our marriage, and then I have to wait another 50 YEARS for you to WAKE UP! What kind of husband ARE YOU?!" Link grimaced, stepping back. She grinned afterwards, and laughed. "I suppose I'll forgive you." The grin stretched into a sad smile. "We did miss you back home, you know. ... In Hyrule." Link looked down at his feet, still unsure. Ruto tried to patch her bad joke. "I'm sure you would have made a horrible husband anyway; running around all the time, off on adventures, coming home half-dead..." She sighed, shaking her head.

"SWORN BROTHER!" A voice bellowed, even though Link was right in front of its source. Red energy snapped and sparked, Darunia stepping forth with a grin. "It's good to see you again! I thought I never would!" He boomed with laughter, Link swearing he saw other pillars ripple. "Surprising, that after all these years, our mountain is still peaceful! Oh, sure, the occasional Dodongo shows up, but I simply take up the great Megaton hammer- ... oh. Well, I.." The great king looked at his body. "I suppose I can't do much of that any more, can I? That's up to my son and his descendants now. You met him once, remember?" Link nodded, smiling. "I do remember." A flash of purple light wavered in the corner of his eye, and he turned to meet Impa, her arms folded. "Hello, Link. It is good to see you once more." She smiled. "You did us all proud, you know. I would not have expected any less from you. When I saw you as a child, I knew you would do great things."

"We all knew it, really." said Saria, smiling at him. Link smiled back. "It is good to see you all again- but where are Nabooru and Rauru?"

"Rauru," said Darunia, "is up in heaven, conversing with the Goddesses over important matters. As for Nabooru..."

"She re-entered the mortal realm of earth. There have been troubles among the Gerudo as of late," Ruto filled in, her jaw tensing. The air seemed to change, it took on a serious tone. The reunion was already over. Link looked around. "What is it? What's wrong?"

"50 years ago.." the Zoran queen stated, "a man was born to a Gerudo tribe. This would not have been a problem, but it had not yet been 100 years since Ganondorf was born. So you see- he was born early."

Link nodded, looking at her the whole time. "What does this have to do with me?"

Impa closed her eyes, Saria lowered hers, Darunia cleared his throat, and Ruto winced. "We need you to be ressurected on the mortal plane to defeat the new force of evil."

Link stared at Ruto. He blinked, rubbed his eyes, and looked at her harder, as if trying to read a blurry sign. "Excuse me? I have to -what-?" She bit her lower lip, and Saria decided to take over for her. "Yes, Link, we need you to once more take up a sword, and defend Hyrule against it's newest threat. Right now, Rauru is talking with the three Goddesses, who will give us the power to transport you to Hyrule and bring you back."

"We suspect you'll be surprised," Impa stated, "much has changed there."

"Epona, your faithful horse, wanders in greener pastures.."

"We will supply you with a new horse, don't you worry."

"... the proper equipment, well, you still have all your old weapons, they're in the Royal Vault, so it will be hard to get them from there..."

" ...certain that Farore, Din, and Nayru will assist you..."

"Navi cannot assist you now, so we will grant you with a new guide..."

Link shook his head slowly, sitting down on the Triforce platform. The sages quieted immediately. Saria looked down at the water pool, stepping onto it slowly. A tiny aura of green surrounded her foot and assisted her as she walked across to the platform, touching Link's shoulder.

"We can do that?" Ruto muttered, surprised.

Link looked at her, his hands clenched tightly into fists. "Just what the hell is going on? First, I die, then you wake me up, putting me back in Hyrule and telling me that... that I can't stop, even after I'm dead!" He took a breath, letting it out slowly. Saria hugged him tight. "It's okay, we understand that you're overwhelmed. But we are wiht you every step of the way- and you will always have help." Link nodded, smiling a little. "Thank you, Saria." He stood slowly, wincing as a bright light flooded the ceiling. It didn't hurt, however, and he watched as four forms, three massive, floated down gently. Rauru was the other form, and he settled on his platform, soft yellow wings flaring. "Good to see you, Link." He nodded, looking back up at the three goddesses. Nayru, of course, was above him, her wavy blue hair floating gently in the air. Din was there, her hair long and straight, and so red it seemed to emit its own glow. Farore's green hair was swept back from her face. Save the color and stylings, they were exactly the same, in their white robes, emitting a soft golden glow. Link looked back to Rauru, seeing his arms up in the air, summoning the medallion of light. "I give this to you- to aid you on your quest." It shimmered in the air, before bursting into a million tiny points of light, falling over him and seeping into his skin, filling him with warmth. The other sages lifted their arms, blessing him with their medallions as well. Each one broke and slipped into Link's skin, warming him more. At the end, Rauru again lifted his arms, granting Link with the spirit medallion. Link closed his eyes, his body feeling renewed, and solid. The pillar seemed to stretch under him, the circle of water spreading out, and the sages moving away as the Goddesses floated down at a corner of the Triforce. Din lifted her hands, palms upwards, and her body began to glow with a red heat. "I bless you, my child, with the gift of strength. Use it well!"

A powerful heat wrapped around him, and he was lifted into the air, his eyes widening as his body was suffused with red light. "I bless you, my child, with the gift of knowledge! Use it well!" cried Farore, also lifting her hands palm-up, and Link took on a green glow, his mind feeling as if someone had given it a good dusting.

"I bless you, my child, with the gift of courage! Use it well!" Nayru declared, her hands going up. A blue shimmer started at Link's feet, engulfing him completely. The lights took on a white shine, and he closed his eyes. He was rising up in the air, the light protecting him.

"When you land, you will be greeted by new friends. From then on, you must decide what to do."

"You will have all you need, weapons, magic, and assistance in many forms..."

"We bless you, Link...

The savior of Hyrule, and the worlds as we know them."

Review please!


	3. Home again

AN: w00t. second chapter.

Somewhere outside of Hyrule castle:

He stirred, blinking sleepily. Something wet and soft was nuzzling around his ear, hot air blowing into his hair. Soon, the sturdy snout butted into his neck, and there was a soft whinny. He sat up slowly, dusting off his clothes. A pink tongue licked his cheek. "Stop it, Ep.." he stared in amazement. It was certainly not Epona. A white horse, its mane tinted the barest shade of blue, was looking at him, its tail swishing. But it wasn't the horse that had him so amazed. A pair of large bird wings sprouted on either side of the horse from it's shoulderblades, folded neatly on either side of it's body. Link admired them for a little while, before gently patting the horse's muzzle. "So you're my new horse.. actually- you're not a horse, you're a pegasi..." The horse snorted, licking his hand. Finally, Link cast a glance around Hyrule field to see what had changed about it after so many years. The paths were wider, and ruts from carts and wagons were in them. He turned to look at the castle. It was the same as it had been when he left, but there were now tall guard towers at the ends, and standing at the entrance to the marketplace were guards with spears. A young girl was in front of them, holding a pack mule by the reins. The guards were looking over some papers, before finally handing them back to her. "Very well, miss Halon." She thanked them, leading the horse inside. Link patted his pegasi's neck, leading it over to where the guards stood. They seemed to be ignoring him, and he brightened. Perhaps they couldn't see him at all! Maybe he could just walk in! He walked over the bridge, fully intending to do so- but the guards crossed their spears in front of him. "Please present your identity papers, please." Link stared at the guards. "But I'm Link- I'm a friend of Princess Zelda's." They looked at each other, then back at him. "Sir, -Queen- Zelda has been dead for 40 years now. And Sir Link has been dead for 50." The Hylian felt as if the wind had been knocked out of him. He'd been dead for how long? "How can I get these papers?" The guards stared, although Link couldn't see under their helmets. "You recieve the papers annually after your birth certificate is made out when you are born. You should have some at your home." Link nodded, his eyes wide. "How long has this been going on?"

"For over 70 years now. Queen Zelda passed it as a rule as soon as she took the throne, and neighboring kingdoms have copied her." Link nodded his head. "Sorry to bug you- I will... umm... go get them." He led his horse away, chewing his lower lip. There was no easy way to do this- he would have to figure out how to sneak in, maybe at a guard changing, or forge the papers, which would be hard, considering he didn't know what they looked like. He sighed, looking at his horse, before hopping up onto her.

"Here- let's take you over to the ranch." The horse neighed her approval, and started at a canter towards the ranch, which had grown in size. As she moved, he continued pondering his problem. He had to get in- there were important things to buy, and vaults to break into. Speaking of buying- Link stopped his horse, and climbed off. "Stay here, girl." She bobbed her head, and began to eat some grass as he wandered into some bushes, scouting among them and ripping them up, finding plenty of coins and tucking them away in his satchel. "Now... anything else I should get for now?" he murmured, scanning the ground. He wandered through them, his foot striking something. Immediately suspicious, he pushed away the shrubs- to find a leather casing, with a piece of paper inside that declared "The holder of this paper is Into, song of Engo, and a ranchhand at Lon Lon Ranch." Link could hardly believe his luck at finding such a thing. He would put the horse away, then use the paper to enter the market and eventually sneak his way into the castle. He climbed back onto the pegasi, riding her into the ranch. The buildings were indeed bigger, and more sprawled out, and there was a well-defined path. Not to mention there were many more people- spectators, it seemed, all gathered in the horse corral and watching a woman on her chestnut horse. He snuck up near the front, to see what was going on. When he got a better view, the girl- who could have doubled as Malon's twin- was riding the horse bareback. She urged it on, jumping a fence, and turning it to quickly jump a second. Before it leaped, she planted her hands firmly on it's back and stood upside down. The horse made it easily, the crowd gasping and applauding wildly. Link applauded as well, his eyes wide.The people began to leave now, talking about the amazing show.

"She's rich from doing stuff like that-"

"I'm surprised she hasn't broken her neck!"

Link climbed from his horse, taking her over to the girl. She was wearing a dirty shirt and a tan leather vest, and men's breeches, something Link had not seen women in too often. The young woman turned when she heard him approaching, and flashed a wide smile. "Hi- My name is Palon. How can i help you?" Link smiled back. "Um, yes- I was wondering if Malon is still around?" Palon looked at him in surprise. "No- she was my great grandmother. How did you know her? I have never seen you here before..." She peered closer, before leaning back and blinking in amazement. "Amazing! You look just like the statue in our town's square! Tell me- are you related to the great hero of all time? Or are you one of the contestants? Because you should totally win- except his tunic is green..." Link looked at his white clothing, then at her, blinking. "Umm.. I- I suppose you could say I'm related to him.." She gasped. "That's amazing... you are so fortunate." Link smiled sheepishly. "Thank you.. umm- could you please tend to my horse? She might be hungry- and I've just come into town." Palon nodded, taking the reigns. "Such a lovely horse- it's rare you see white ones. Your great grandfather got his horse here." Link went along with the little fib, though he felt guilty. "Yeah, her name was Epona." She nodded, smiling, before leading the equine over to the watering trough. Link followed.

"Epona had to have been one of our shyest horses. He and Grandma were the only ones who she would allow close. Grandma would smile and say that Link and Epona were truly made for each other." Link smiled at the memory of his horse. "I heard she was quite beautiful." Palon grinned. "Course she was. We always breed beautiful horses." As Link admired his pegasi, the girl was busy with horse soap and water, rubbing the animal down from head to tail. Link watched her for several minutes. "What about the wings?" Palon stopped cleaning, looking at him in confusion. "Wings?" She smiled uneasily. "Pardon me, sir, but... only imaginary horses have wings.." Link opened his mouth to argue, staring at his horse, but cleared his throat, changing his mind. "Of course- just a joke." He laughed , a bit too fake. "Sorry."

She stood up, wiping the soap away now. "Well, sir, you go on ahead with your business and just let your horse rest up. We'll take good care of her, I promise." Link nodded, giving her some money. "Thank you." She smiled in reply. "Thank you, sir."

He nodded to her, turning and leaving the ranch, feeling comfortable. As he was out in the open air, he could feel the warmth running through his veins, the sun heating him as it always had. He could hardly believe it. He was home again. Birds darted overhead, chirping as they went along, others singing as they perched in their trees. Small squirrels hid their food, rabbits leaping away. "Home.." he murmured to himself, stopping to take it all in.

"Home."

He started for the castle at a quicker pace, but gasped and leaped back as a cart went barreling by. It hit a harsh bump, and a bottle flew from the back. It clattered to the ground, rolling up to Link's feet, filled with a bright light. As he leaned down to get it, he could hear muffled shouting as the bottle jiggled. Link picked it up , pulling it open. The light was a tiny fairy, and she had a red tinge to her light. She was -mad-. The little ball flung itself at Link's face, screaming. "You! You pig of a mortal! You intended to sell me! I can't believe that you wanted to get rid of me!" Link stumbled backwards, dodging the fairy's weak punches. "I didn't trap you! I'm not about to sell you! Come on, it's alright!" The fairy stopped, looking at him for several minutes, and the red faded. "You let me go?" She trembled with happiness. "Thank you! Thank you!!" She latched onto him, squealing and bouncing in happiness. "Oh THANK YOU! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU SO SO SOOOO MUUUCH!!" Link smiled weakly, the fairy clutching the collar of his tunic. She looked up at him, and her face- she was that close- took on a puzzled appearance. She backed up, looking him over slowly. "You... you must be Link!" The Hylian nodded.

She squealed in happiness, bobbing up and down rapidly. "I was supposed to meet you! I'm so glad I have! You see, I was waiting by the Pegasi- who's name is Arana, by the way, when I thought I saw something suspicious out there. So I flew over there, and this GUY just jumped up and caught me in a bottle! I was so mad! He was teasing me and threatening to sell me, and threw me into the back of his cart. So to get back at him and keeping him from getting into the marketplace to sell me, I used my powers and flung his certificate from the cart. So he won't get in until he finds it!" She laughed, and Link stared at her. "Umm- just wondering- why didn't you just use your power to pull the cork out of the bottle?" She stared at him. "Well.. because it was really heavy." Link nodded. "So, what can I call you?" The fairy stopped darting around so often, and Link managed a good look at her clothes. She was almost a very tiny human being, besides the opalescent wings, wearing a white dress outfit with the hem at the bottom raggedly slashed, her hair white and curly, streaming down her back. "My name is Karavi. It's cool to meet you, Link." She smiled wide, and patted his shoulder. "So, where are we going?" Link sighed, looking towards the castle. "We have to get in there for my old weapons so I can start on my destiny." He set his jaw, and Karavi nodded. "Sounds easy. How are we getting in?" He smirked at her, pulling out the certificate he had found. "This should get us in." Karavi giggled. "You found it! That's excellent." She fluttered over his head, bouncing a little as they headed towards it.

"You know, Karavi, you're the only person who seems to see that my horse is a Pegasi. Everyone else sees it as an ordinary horse." Karavi flew along in front of him. "It's simple. Only the undead who died with pure hearts, and magical creatures- you and me- see the wings." Link nodded. "I get it now... that's how no one was in shock whenever I would show them the horse." Karavi nodded too. "We're almost there now... come on." They headed back across the drawbridge, the guards once more crossing their spears. Link pulled out the certificate, and they looked it over carefully, before nodding. "Go right on through, sir." They uncrossed their spears, and Link entered the marketplace for the first time in 50 years. It had grown dramatically- even the surrounding walls had changed from their ordinary brick to having immensely tall guard posts at each corner. The buildings were bigger as well, and there was more of a variety. Even the colors of the people had changed. Some were immensely pale, others were dark, clearly of Gerudian descent. But the temple of time was still there, as tall and proud as it had always been. "Everything is so much bigger now." he muttered to Karavi, who nodded her agreement. "Everything's grown since you died. Here- what did you say you needed?" Link looked around the market some more, excusing himself as he walked through the crowds of people. A few of the younger girls stopped to watch him go by, blushing. Link lowered his eyes, and Karavi glared at them. "Let's see..." she turned her attention back to Link. "You need a shield." Link smiled a little at her. "Why was that the first thing you thought of?" Karavi blushed pink.

They headed into the back alleyways that were wider now, and had more buildings. "I know that- but I don't know if I can afford to buy one. Maybe we should just go to the castle."

"Well, we need to get in somehow."

There was the sound of someone approaching them from behind, and Link whipped around, his hand reaching, once more, for a sword that wasn't there yet. A bald man with multiple tattoos all over his body slunk out of a dark doorway, walking towards him. "Excuse me..." he hissed. "My father is a carpenter, helping to build onto the castle. He is head carpenter. I'm supposed to be helping as his son, but I'm not good with tools." He paused, looking Link over. "you look pretty strong. Here. These are the papers that will get you into teh castle." Link took it, looking it over. "Thank you." The young man nodded. "My dad will think you're the help he hired, so dont worry about having to explain yourself. Have fun in the castle..." he smirked. "I hope you find some good stuff." He laughed quietly, the sound turning into a harsh cough. Link thanked him again, feeling uneasy, but turned, walking the rest of the way. Karavi occasionally pointed something out, and Link would stop to see what she found. At one point, he found a small green crystal that wasn't money, but a delicately carved gem. He pocketed it, turning into the main courtyard. A woman rushed by him, ringing her hands, looking completely panicked. "I can't believe I lost my birthday present so soon! I'm so stupid! How could I have lost it?!" She fretted passionately, looking ready to cry. Link reached out and touched her shoulder. "Excuse me, miss." she whirled around to stare at him, gasping and covering her mouth with her hands. "My Goddess, you look just like our statue! What an excellent job you have done on this!" She stroked the material of Link's tunic, and he blushed. "Thanks- uh-" Karavi hid in Link's hood so the young woman wouldn't see her burning with anger. "You were saying you lost something?" he asked. She blinked, and nodded rapidly. "Yes! Yes I did!" Link reached into his satchel, pulling out the crystal and holding it out to her. "Is this it?" She gasped, taking it and hooking it back onto her necklace. "Yes! Thank you so much! I do not know how I will ever repay you! You see, my name is Anra, and I forge precious metals. This was a gift from my husband; this stone. He said that it was a chip from the actual legendary emerald of the forest." She smiled, admiring it.' "So you see, I was very panicked when I lost it. But thank you for finding it for me! " She hugged him tightly, and he blushed. Karavi hunted for matches to set her dress on fire. "I do not have much to give you in return, but... here." she pulled out a piece of paper and a pencil, scribbling on it. "If you ever need help with metals, be it fixing a sword or anything, just come to my shop and I'll fix it for you for free. My signature is on this, and its very hard to forge, so they will know its for real if I'm not there." She thanked him again, before turning and walking away. Karavi fluttered out, snuggling against Link's neck. "Link..." He blinked. "Yes?" "You don't -like- that mortal, do you?" Link shook his head. "No.. why are you being defensive?" She flushed. "I'm -not-... I just... well.. she's not good enough for you, is all." Link smirked. "So you dictate who I can and cannot like?" Karavi flittered. "Of course not!" Link shook his head. "Let's just hurry to the castle." She nodded, tucking under his hat.

"Your hair smells really good."


	4. The prophetic princess

AN: third chapter, bitches!

The path to the castle:

Link nodded to the guards as they accepted his certificates, going up the long road to the castle. It had been rebuilt with white hard stone, and flowers grew along the edges. He paused at the end of the road in front of the castle, and stared up at the immense building. "Goddesses.." It had become incredibly tall and immense, with spires that seemed to reach the sky. The moat had widened out as well. He was sincerely impressed. The guards checked his papers again, and nodded. "Excellent. The construction crew is down the long hall, second one to the left." Link thanked him, crossing the moat on the drawbridge and going into the castle.

It was amazing. The ceilings were arched with solid wood beams, Tapestries of red and gold hung on the walls, depicting the family crest, and battle scenes of utmost importance. The marble floor was blanketed with thick red carpet as well. Link looked around, giving himself a few minutes to examine it. Karavi followed him, quiet. He didn't turn at the hall- instead he continued walking, until he realized that he was up to the throne room. There were three chairs, all made of wood painted to look gold, ornately carved to best suit the person who sat in them. All of them were lined with red velvet cushions. The center, Link supposed, was for the king. The one to the left was for the queen, and the one to the right was for the princess or prince. He turned back, going down the hall and making it to where the construction workers were. He heard a loud clang, and a louder obscenity. Karavi shook her head. Some people need to learn to watch their damn mouths!" Link ignored her poor attempt at humor, coming upon the construction scene. An older man was glaring at an incompetent, lazy -looking young fellow sucking on his fingers. "And do you know WHY ye banged yer damn fingers?! Cus ye weren't payin' attention! Argh! in the name o' the goddesses..." he shook his head, removing his carpenter's hat and wiping his forehead. Link cleared his throat. The older man turned, seeing him, and brightened immensely. "Good! Yer here." he ran right over, shaking his hand. "We're glad yer here- we need someone with competent skills. Here's a hat-" he planted a hard cap on Link's head over his green one- "and now ye can start clearing out the big ol' vault. They told us ter make it a staircase leading to the other rooms, and' the vault is going farther downstairs. Plenty o' old junk in there..." Link was amazed at his luck. "Now ter give ye th' key..." he fumbled for a few minutes, before pulling out a tarnished, massive key. "Alrigh'. An' try ter be quiet about it- th' king is very busy." Link nodded, tucking the key away. "J'st go further down this hall 'n to the right, and you'll find it." Link thanked him, turning and walking down. He and Karavi turned down the left hall, walking along the marble and admiring the craftsmanship of the hall. Muffled voices were heard ahead, and Link stopped, blinking. He turned, seeing an ornately carved oak door, and jerked his head while looking at Karavi towards it, before going over and pressing his ear to it, hearing a demanding, loud voice. "... is no such thing as resurrection! The womenfolk simply rename their new queen of the era Nabooru. It is ancient Gerudian for mother." "Oh!" broke another voice, an old man's. "And I suppose Ganondorf is some ancient language's word for father?! Or perhaps END OF THE WO- AAAH!" Link backed up as thunderous feet charged to the door, and flung himself to the side as the doors burst open, an old man tossed out. He had on tattered blue robes, and a grey beard hanging halfway down his front. He remained crouched on the ground as the doors slammed shut, being locked. Link approached him slowly, stopping as the old man stood up, dusting himself off and grumbling quietly. "Accursed Hylian fat-man, not believing a wise word..." He straightened, reaching into his robes and pulling out a long staff, leaning heavily on it as he turned towards Link, smiling. ""Do you know of the old prophecies, young man?" Link shook his head. The old man nodded, using his cane to walk. "They say..." Link walked with him, listening. "That on the half-centennial of our hero's death, he would come back, along with the evil that plagues him, reborn and stronger than before. That is the part more well-known, anyway. But I'll tell you something." He fixed his glasses, Link still following him. "The rest is that the Goddesses would fall from the heavens to contain their brothers, only to be contained on their own. And the hero would fall... to save the world." Link swallowed hard. The man sighed, and patted Link's back. "At least someone believes me. With the Goddesses out of heaven, the gods would surely try their hand at taking over. Complete devastation of our world.." Link tensed his jaw. "But- the hero- what if he does come back and he saves us all? Aren't there chances of that happening?" The old man nodded. "Let's hope." He sighed, continuing on his way to the exit. Link stopped, letting him go, before turning and going back down the hall. He walked past the door the old man had been thrown from, seeing another on the other side of the hall a little ways down. He knocked, waiting for a response. Hearing none, he slowly pushed the doors open. The room had cool marble floors with dark red thick rugs overlaying. There was a glass roof, the sun shining in warmly. But what caught Link's eyes was the mural directly across from the doors, taking up one entire wall and framed in gold. The painting itself was composed of dark murky clouds, black as ink. They dipped down into funnel shapes, the ends like clawed jagged hands. Piercing through the clouds was a strong beam of sunlight, showing a small circle of green grass. And in the middle of the circle was the Master Sword. Link walked towards the painting, almost hypnotized by the image. When he was barely an inch away, he studied the painting as much as possible, his dark blue eyes darting over the image. When they focused once more on the Master Sword resting forlornly in the grass, he backed away, turning away from the painting and going back to the door.

A terrible rumble from behind stopped him in his tracks. He whipped back around, his eyes widening and his mouth falling open as the dark clouds started to move. He watched in horror and fascination as they tumbled and spun around the thin beam of sunlight. He took a step back towards the painting, horrified as the Master Sword crumbled, rusty, and the light faltered. A plume of smoky cloud leaked from the bottom of the painting, gliding with serpentine ease past the frame and down the wall, ghosting along the floor to snake itself around Link's ankles. He shuddered. The touch was cold as ice, and it raised gooseflesh over his skin. He shuddered again, trying to step back carefully from the clouds, more snaking free and reaching out to take him captive-

"Do you like it?" Link turned, one hand reaching for the sword that was not yet there, and he looked at the woman behind him. She had amber eyes and dark violet hair, and her skin was a deep golden brown. Her clothes were of Royal Gerudian descent, a light purple sheer robe over a darker shaded pair of pants and a silky tank top of the same color. Link looked back to the painting, stunned to see that it had resumed its original appearance. "I- I don't... I just came..." The mystery girl smirked, walking up to him as he stared. The Master Sword remained mute in the weak light, and the clouds remained still. The girl was soon next to him. "I painted this. I had a dream, where the sky was a beautiful mass of black clouds, with rolling thunder and deadly lightning. As I watched in ecstasy, a mysterious blade carved apart those lovely stormy skies, letting the damned sun through. And it embedded itself in the ground as a testament against the storm. But I..." here she paused, a hand going to her chest. "I destroyed that wretched thing." She grinned. "I commanded it to be gone with my mind, and it was... It rusted away. A weak symbol of a long dead empire." She lifted her chin, Link gritting his teeth behind closed lips. Woman or not, to call such disrespect upon the Master Sword was to slap him in the face. But he managed to speak calmly. "Why do you claim it is dead?" She looked at the painting as she answered, folding her arms. "Because as we speak, my father is drawing near to the Royal Family, his hands outstretched to clutch its throat. Soon, negotiations will commence to unite the lands of Gerudo and Hylia. " She lowered her chin, her face becoming one of slight disappointment. "Even if it means I have to marry the prince." She dropped her arms to her sides, sighing. Link looked at her, his eyes wide with shock and worry for his beloved Hylia. He'd worked too hard to defend it for this! "Why are you telling me all of this?" She turned and looked at him, smirking, and for a moment Link recognized a glint of malice in those amber eyes. "Because no one will believe a foolish peasant." She whipped around towards the door, almost shoving him aside as she strode towards it, leaving Link alone in the room. A cloud rolled over the sun, and the little glass space became dark. The clouds in the painting seemed to once again writhe, and Link quickly left.

Not seeing the princess as he exited, he went down the way he had been going down. At the end, he saw a giant tapestry. At first he could not make it out, but as he drew closer he recognized shapes. It was trimmed at the edges with gold tassels, and depicted a fantastic battle scene. Living skeletons were crawling up a black rock towards a lone golden figure, armed with a bow and arrow of light. The head of the arrow was aiming true, directly at the slobbering, terrible head of "Ganon..."

The artist, who had definitely not been there, had taken liberties with the images. The pig face was close enough, the eyes a deep blood red, seeming to glow and leave trails. Giant curling ram's horns protruded from the brow above the eyes, a slight hook to the ends. His massive hands clutched two enormous swords, with curving blades like scythes. Link felt a little chill roll through him upon seeing that terrible countenance again. He looked the tapestry all over, starting at the top and letting his eyes roll down, trying to ignore the way the skeletons' eyes seemed to glow dark blue, his sight finally resting on the gold tassels at the bottom of the tapestry. They were waving slightly, as if a breeze passed continually under them. He checked for guards, then pushed the heavy rug to one side, slipping behind it, pressing up against an enormous oak door. A keyhole made of polished bronze was at his chest level. And there was no handle. He pulled the key the woman gave him, and inserted it into the hole, wiggling it in an attempt to turn it. The key wouldn't budge.

"It's not right.." whimpered a quiet voice near his ear. Link jumped slightly, until he remembered Karavi was there. She climbed slowly from under his hat, holding on tight to his clothes. She was shaking badly. "That painting... it's..." She cleared her throat, straightening up slowly, and shaking off her chills. Link offered her his finger for her to hold onto, which she did for a little while. "Like I said- that -key- is obviously not right for the door." She grinned to pluck up her courage, and winked at him. "But I can get us in." She flew down to the keyhole, climbing into it and rooting around with her nimble fingers. There were loud clatters and a slight jingling noise, and then she withdrew. Link gently pushed it open, smiling at her. "It's amusing to think that the goddesses tolerate thievery for this," she whispered. Link smiled again, nodding. "Well, considering what I'm doing in exchange.." He made his way in, and Karavi followed quickly. They were at the top of a dark stairwell that descended into even darker settings. Karavi floated slightly ahead, illuminating the walls and floor weakly. Link frowned. "I hope I don't have to fight anything yet... but- just in case..." He looked to the ground, gathering up deku nuts and tucking them away. "These should help." He closed his satchel securely, and then he and Karavi headed down into the blackness.


	5. Into the darkness

AN: fourth chapter... hope you all like it

Dungeon of the castle vault

Link emerged from the stairs, and into a room heavily carpeted with grass. It smelled like the thick perfume of too many flowers in stagnant water. At the walls, vines and trees grew, clinging to the brick. Higher up were spindly wall spiders, their abdomens white and eerily skull-shaped. Link decided not to waste his time, and headed forward, deeper into the room. Ahead of him was a door, and he went in. "Nothing frightening." said Karavi, to comfort him. Link's tense muscles had made the hair on the back of his neck stand up, and the shortest ones pricked her arms. "Nothing yet." he murmured in reply. To escape the pricking hairs, Karavi floated out ahead of him again. He looked around in the next room, much the same, and blinked, seeing a mammoth treasure chest right ahead. He rushed forward, opening it and withdrawing his bow and arrow quiver, sighing in relief. "I have 30 arrows, right Karavi?" The fairy counted the feathers, nodding. Link also nodded to reassure himself, and touched the door beyond the chest. It felt warm. He briefly furrowed his eyebrows, before heading in. A blast of hot air struck his face, stinging his eyes. Link gasped, shutting them tight and slowly walking in. Sweat immediately began to form and evaporate on his skin. "At this rate I'll dehydrate in seconds!" Karavi whimpered, flumping on his shoulder weakly. Link looked around, the air shining with heat. "It's as if they took each of the old temples and made them into dungeon rooms..." He started to take a breath, the hot air nearly searing his windpipe, making him cough fitfully. "Come on, Link! We have to go! Now!" Link nodded, not trusting his throat. He walked to the edge of hard brown rock, looking down into a mammoth pool of lava. Karavi screamed weakly. He stepped back several feet, then ran and jumped. Karavi screamed again, Link landing with a hard thump onto a rocky platform in the pool. The heat became worse than ever. There were two more rocks, and then a rickety ladder going up the rock wall across from him. Link jumped onto the next rock, then the last, Karavi enacting a death grip on the collar of his tunic. He tensed his legs, narrowing his eyes, before throwing his entire self towards the ladder, grasping the rungs tightly. The old wood gave a little shift downwards. Link immediately rushed up, the wood starting to pull away from his sudden weight and years of heat. He clutched the edge of the rock cliff, hoisting himself up as the ladder shuddered and tugged away, sliding down. It burned before even touching the lava, and the ashes simply seemed to disappear. Link shuddered, seeing this happen from the edge of the cliff. Karavi clutched him tightly. He looked around, seeing a new door, and instantly strode through it. The next room wasn't nearly as hot, and the two could breathe. There was another chest before them, and Link cautiously approached it. "What's wrong?" Karavi murmured quietly. "It's too weird. Nothing's come after me. The castle has heavy security.. so it doesn't make sense for me to be unapproached." He pushed the chest open, smiling some as he pulled out the gargantuan Megaton Hammer. "Finally. Something for close-range combat." Karavi flitted as she looked around, moving towards him. "I'm getting scared, Link..." Link nodded, looking around. Nothing. He sighed, before swinging the hammer up and pounding the ground with it. The tool was as powerful as ever; vibrations from the steel rang through his nerves. He hooked it onto his belt, going to the only other door in the room and reaching for the handle. When he got too close, Karavi screamed- the door came alive, wobbling, and fell. Link leaped out of the way, noting that behind the fake door was a rusty switch. He pulled the hammer free, and swung it hard at the fake door once it was up again. The force of the blow splintered the enemy's core, and it seemed to blow apart, falling onto the ground. Link stepped carefully through the splinters, striking the switch with the hammer. A loud grinding sound started up, and the room started rotating counterclockwise. It moved 90 degrees, and in the hole was a new switch. Link struck that as well, crying out as the floor fell away. He plummeted down into the darkness, Karavi shooting down after him. His landing wasn't as hard as it could have been- he was plunged into icy cold water, sinking several feet, unable to see a thing. He only hoped there were no beasts here. Karavi remained above the water, trembling slightly. Her tiny point of light aided Link as he put the hammer back. He burst through the water, sucking in a deep breath of air, coughing heavily and putting a hand to his throat. Karavi shimmered before him, illuminating only a tiny portion of the water, and nothing of walls or a ceiling. He started to swim, kicking with his feet as best he could, his left leg getting sore quite fast from the weight of the hammer. He let it drag, his other leg kicking faster, but to no avail. Link couldn't tell how far he'd gone- it seemed the world was endless. Karavi reached down, seeing him lag, and tugged on the collar of his shirt. "Link! Come on! Keep up with me! I see land!" The cold of the water was numbing his legs, and he was starting to feel weak from the exertion. "Karavi... do- do you... think I... can die?" He seemed to smile sadly, and she started to scream, tugging on his collar harder, and ripping the material. He paused in the water, as if resting, his arms sinking into the water. One hand brushed over another pouch, and he noticed with drugged surprise that it was full of something it hadn't had before. He reached in, sinking in to his chin, and producing the water medallion. "But you were absorbed.." he murmured softly. It glinted in response, shining from inside itself, before the whole thing took on a bright blue, shimmering into dust once more, and seeping back into his arm. His body itself took on a blue shine, and a loud roar came from behind him. He turned in shock, gasping as a mammoth wave of water rushed him, pushing him forward at an incredible rate. Though the wave was moving so fast, it was not pooling around in front of him. It was only carrying him to a shore dimly visible, lights shining down from above onto the pale sand. It set him down gently, receding with the quietest whisper. Link looked back at the still waters, before starting to walk, removing his hat and wringing it out, before putting it back on his head. Karavi floated along ahead of him, the lights only on the beach. They ended at a new tunnel entrance, Karavi's dim light showing off another pool of water. She floated farther over it, looking it over. Under her, in the water, Link could clearly see vortices swirling in the water pocketed throughout. The fairy made it to the other side, revealing to him a waterfall. Above the waterfall was a golden eye switch. She hovered around it, Link taking out an arrow and his bow. Now that he was on safe land, he felt better, not so morbid. Perhaps it was something the water had been tainted with, to discourage thieves. Link abandoned his wonderings, firing the arrow into the dead center of the eye. The switch was unlocked, and the waterfall dried up, along with the vortices. Link immediately dove in, swimming across to a ledge behind the waterfall, opening into a dark tunnel. He climbed up as fast as possible, pulling himself onto the ground as the switch clicked again, the waterfall bursting forth and the vortices starting up with renewed strength. Link headed forward, seeing a chest at the end of the tunnel. His boots thunked on hard tile, and water dripped from him continually. He opened the chest, able to pull out his water tunic. Karavi turned away, glowing pink, and Link changed into the dry clothing. He looked at Karavi, who turned around slowly, making sure he was dressed. Past the chest was a door, which he immediately went to and opened. He stepped through, gasping as he landed on nothing- falling into icy water. The cold sensations were annoyingly familiar by now. He was sucked into a wicked vortex, and trying to paddle out was tiring him. Karavi screamed, flying to him and ducking into his hat, holding onto him tight as best she could. The vortex took over their frail bodies, sucking them down.

Link could breathe- thank the goddesses he'd changed- and the water around him was nothing but dark black. They seemed to travel in this manner for hours, until Link felt the pull receding, dropping them down out of the water. Link felt his body plummet through a hole and land heavily onto warm tiles. He lay there for a few minutes in a cold wet pile, coughing. As used to breathing through the water tunic as he should have been, it was something new to kick him in the back. Link finally managed to regain his breath, standing up. Karavi bobbed up and down, looking him over. "Are you alright?" Link nodded. "Yeah, just a little wet. This tunic helps me to breathe underwater." He pulled off his now-blue cap again, wringing out the water and running his fingers through his hair to clear out as much water as possible, but it didn't help much- his pale hair had taken on a darker shade. He wrung out as much of his tunic as possible, emptied his boots of water, did all he could. Then he started walking. He was moving into another long blue tunnel, about halfway through fading into yellow limestone. The sand he was walking on became hotter, but not as bad as the heat room. And the wafts of warm air helped to dry him off. Karavi led him along quietly, her wings flittering gently, her body the only glow. About halfway down, the ceiling above them rumbled. Link stopped, looking up, as did Karavi. They waited for several tense moments.

When nothing happened, Link looked at Karavi in confusion. She shrugged, and they continued on down the labyrinthine pathway, having to double back from time to time. Link finally grew sick of walking in circles, taking out the megaton hammer and smashing it on the floor to the entrance of each choice he took. Karavi mumbled as they moved, having given up on flying ahead of Link and resting on his shoulder. Link fanned himself from the heat. The water was starting to sound good again. He came to another fork in the path, taking the left and walking a little ways. Link pitched forward violently as if something had grabbed him- but in actuality he had slipped into heavy quicksand. Karavi realised partially how much trouble she was going to have being his fairy. The sand sucked powerfully at his knees even as Link kicked and struggled against it. Karavi grabbed onto his shirt sleeve, tugging hard on it to no avail.

Soft padded footsteps sounded over the ground behind them. Karavi panicked, and ducked under Link's hat without turning around. The steps paused behind the Hylian, and a dark shadow covered him and projected onto the sand before him. He recognized the figure for a few minutes, and it vanished, strong hands grabbing him under the arms and hefting him out, setting him on sturdier ground. Link turned to thank his savior. In his peripheral vision he caught a flash of red eye and dark clothes- before a brilliant light engulfed the figure. After blinking hard, his eyes watering, Link could see again. But the figure was gone. Link put his hand on the hilt of a sword he did not yet have. It was starting to irritate him, but he would fight. His hand dropped to the bag where he had placed the deku nuts. When nothing approached him, he turned back the way he had been going and started walking, Karavi staying in his hat.

"Karavi." The tiny figure climbed to his shoulder to perch at his ear. "Yes?" Link swallowed to himself. "When did the princess die?" Karavi tilted her head. "The Deku princess?" Link shook his head. "No. The Hylian Princess." "It's Queen Aeve now." Link looked at the fairy in confusion. "N.. no- I mean Zelda." "-OH-." Karavi blushed, feeling foolish for having misunderstood. "Queen Zelda... she died about... 90 or so years ago." Link nodded slowly, wondering quietly to himself if the Goddesses had brought Zelda back. Karavi looked at him, tilting her head curiously. "Why?" Link shrugged, watching the floor. "Just wondering how long it has been." They continued on their path, Link taking a few more turns before coming upon a door with a grin. "Finally!" He ran through it, Karavi remaining not far behind as they went into the next room. From an alcove in the wall, hidden by a wall illusion, the mystery figure was watching him. It waited until the door was shut, then headed down the hidden tunnel. It sighed, tired, not used to fighting that much, and not used to being alive again. To rest, the shadow figure leaned against a wall- which was a mistake. Under it's back, a switch was triggered, sliding inwards. The figure whipped around quickly, staring at the switch. On top of it was the figure of a snake. There was a terrific grinding sound, and the ceiling of the labyrinth was being pulled back, opening up into a dark tunnel. From the tunnel, a mammoth black serpent seemed to pour out into the labyrinth. It hissed quietly, a blood red tongue flickering to taste the air. On its forehead was an upside triforce, well-known as a sign of disrespect to Hyrule and the Royal Family. The shadow made sure that Link was gone, before jumping down and running up to the creature, withdrawing a long, black sword. The snake hissed with an open mouth, revealing long sharp fangs, seeming to drip with hot green venom. It looked at the shadow with black glittering eyes, and lunged. The battle began.

Link and Karavi stopped where they were and looked at the door they had just come from. Karavi whimpered, grasping Link's tunic. "What is that?" Link shook his head. "I don't know." They waited for several tense moments, Link's hand on the bag with deku nuts. When nothing came after them, he slowly relaxed, and turned back to the room ahead of them. The area smelled of mildew, and it was dark and cold. "The Shadow Temple... We might almost be done." Karavi nodded, starting to fly around him again. He came into a room with black tile, mold covering the mortar in between, and narrowly avoided being beheaded by a morbid fan just above the entrance- a bust of death, the fan blades his scythe. They continued into the room, and Link ended up splashing into a deep puddle. "Hell.." he grumbled quietly, going into it, and realising it was not a puddle, but a lake. And the room was still very, very dark. Link waded in until he was up to his shoulders, and started swimming. Karavi floated a few feet ahead of him, illuminating a small area. Her light was strong enough to keep the photosensitive piranha at bay. He kept swimming, his teeth gritted and face determined. Karavi spied something in the distance, and looked at it for a while until she was sure of what it was. "Link! There's a pier over there!" He turned towards it immediately, swimming over, soon able to see it himself. He climbed up onto the pier, nearly gagging. His body reeked of sewage from the water, and he hoped it would not be permanent. Karavi kept a bit of a distance, not that he could blame her. Connected to the pier by a badly-frayed rope was a rickety little shell of a boat with one seat and no steering or oars. Link looked at Karavi, who gulped. "Do you think it's safe?" Link sighed. "We'll just have to see." He climbed in carefully, swearing he could feel the water and serpentine fish underneath the boat. He sat down slowly, the boat rocking some, but steadying gently. He reached up, unhooking the decaying rope from the pier, and set it down in the boat. At once it glided along effortlessly, following a path only it knew. It edged around vortices, piranha fish sliding by and snapping at the boat. Link swallowed hard, Karavi hiding under his hat after a half-hearted leap by one of the fish. The boat stopped at another pier, and Link climbed out, hefting himself up. Afterwards, the boat sank, piranha fish snapping at it and tearing the rotting wood into splinters. Ahead was another tunnel, which they immediately traveled down, Link keeping one hand on his bow. Ahead was a little room lit by torches, which he immediately entered. There were several chests, some of which were opened. Link opened the others, gaining the Lens of Truth, the Mirror shield, and- bombchus. He looked around. Beyond the chests was another door that looked kicked in, dark shapes seen just beyond it. Swords could be heard striking each other.

Link rushed to the door, Karavi right behind him. There was a warrior's cry, something Link himself had shouted many times before, and a thunderous thud, followed by something dissipating. Link paused, looking at Karavi, then opened the door. Nothing was there, just a swirling blue warp point. He stared at it in surprise, then looked around again. A golden chest had appeared. Karavi kept a look out for Link as he approached it slowly, pushing it open and reaching in. Inside the chest was a long black sword, its hilt wrapped with bandages for grip, metal crisscrossed at the base of the blade as if wrapping it in. Karavi gasped when she saw it, as did Link. The powerful weapon seemed to hold no weight whatsoever. He swung it through the air, the metal whistling.

"Link-" Karavi barely dared to whisper, staring at it. "This is the legendary Dark Elf sword." Link twirled it, before taking out the sheath and putting it on, replacing the blade. The sheath was solid black as well, with intricate curls carved into the leather. Karavi sat down on his shoulder. "They say the sword is so powerful, it can cut through shadows. But very few can truly wield it." Link looked at Karavi, and then towards the warp. Its light was warm and relaxing, and a soft humming seemed to emanate from it as he got closer. He stepped into it, and the noise rose in volume to a high-pitched trill. A blue fog poured upwards and out from under his feet, swirling around him and forming a chrysalis. He rose in the air steadily, the entire area fading beyond his sight.


End file.
